First drive: Rivian delivers the electric truck we’ve been waiting for
The 2022 Rivian R1T has a lot to like and some details to love
The Rivian R1T electric truck is neither too big nor small.
It handles rock crawling and off-camber
trails with ease, can zip from zero to 60 miles per hour on a dirt road in just a few seconds without
the typical back-end slippage — although there is an option to provide that drifting effect — and it can
crank through winding mountain roads, pushing the edge of each corner without body roll.
It’s loaded with the kind of interior and exterior touches that put it firmly in the premium zone — and
yet the Rivian R1T is no delicate flower.
The company’s designers and engineers helped the truck steer clear of pretension by combining form and
function from tip to tail. Some of the added surprises — the location of functional details like
tie-downs, an air compressor and outlets — suggest that numerous Rivian employees tested the truck in
real-world conditions, including camping, mountain biking and even more mundane tasks like
grocery-fetching.
To be clear, far more time and miles are required to provide a full review. Still, as a total package,
the Rivian R1T impresses.